Basement Interior Design Ideas

Posted by afni | June 14th, 2010 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Basements are often the most fun to decorate and design because they are usually unfinished, leaving a range of design options. Between that and the fact that for the most part a basement isn’t an essential functioning room, it becomes a blank canvas for you to design and decorate any way you want.

Room Function
Before you can even begin to conceptualize a design plan and the decor, you must first decide how you want your basement to function. Most often, people use it as a recreation room because the wide-open floor plan allows for large pool tables or gym equipment.

The spaciousness also allows for large playrooms for children. The basement could also be multifunctional. You can use part of it for a home office and part for a gym, a bar and billiard room, or any other combination of room types.

Floors
Most basement floors are concrete, leaving a wide range of flooring options to be installed. However, you can easily and affordably create stunning basement floors by simply staining the concrete floors. Concrete stains are available in either acrylic or acid formulas.

Acid stains create a translucent look with varying hues, while acrylic stains provide a more consistent hue that is semi-translucent. You can create a checkered-tile effect by taping off squares and applying different hues, or experiment with different patterns and designs.

Walls
If you do decide to use your basement to create different rooms, there are some ways you can separate these spaces without the labor-intensive process of installing drywall panels. You can make use of the immovable beams in a basement by using them to help create room vignettes.

Simply run screens, hinged closet doors or drapes between them. Alternatively, you can use wall partitions, similar to what is used create office cubicles, to create separate rooms or areas for different uses.

Lighting
Most basements allow little or no natural light. This is definitely something to consider when you are planning the design for your basement. Track lighting is an affordable option that is also easy to install.

Any ceiling lighting fixture is ideal, as this will spread light around the room more efficiently. You can use truss rods and canister lights for a stage lighting effect.

If you are putting a billiard table in the basement, you may want a fixture hanging above the table, similar to what you see in pool halls. Incorporate the immovable beams into your lighting plan by adding sconce lighting fixtures around them.


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